Inside Naomi Campbell's Sketchy Side

With the recent news of model Tatjana Patitz's tragic death, we are reminded of that veritable quintet of supermodels who reigned supreme in the '90s. Patitz, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell famously posed together for the iconic Vogue supermodel cover in 1990. While all the models went on to experience phenomenal success, Campbell is arguably the one who has remained relevant across generations, continuing to generate headlines to this day. And with great power comes great shade.

Ever since she first launched onto the fashion scene, Campbell has been a mainstay of the tabloid circuit. Her controversies are vast, as is her alleged ability to throw shade. However, as Refinery29 argues, Campbell receives far more bad publicity than her supermodel peers due to being a powerful Black woman in a white-centric industry. At a time when the catwalks favored white models, Campbell was a pioneer — extraordinarily beautiful, uncompromising, and, ultimately, a threat to the myopically-minded establishment. As Lee Daniels told Vogue, there's more to the model than the salacious gossip that has followed her around for decades: "You think of Naomi Campbell and you see these things, you hear these stories. Then I was able to... know the woman behind the story, and fall in love with her."

In her career spanning over 30 years, Campbell has courted much controversy and criticism, not all of which is merited. Life hasn't been a catwalk in the park for the stunning supermodel: let's take a deep dive inside Naomi Campbell's sketchy side.

In 2005, Naomi Campbell founded the charity Fashion For Relief to provide aid for those whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, per its official website. However, in 2021, the organization's finances were called into questions.

As The Guardian reported at the time, The Charity Commission for England began probing FFR over the trustees' alarmingly high level of expenditure in consultancy and travel fees, totalling over $100,000 in 2019 alone. There was also a marked delay in filing the accounts, which the charity attributed to the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Daily Mail, lavish parties and events were hosted on the charity's behalf. A party held for the British Museum, for instance, ended up amounting to almost $2 million in expenses. "The reality is that the FFR donations are a fraction of the money raised," Artist Pierre Musa, who had previously donated to the charity, told the outlet. "Instead the money has gone on extravagant events and 'other expenses.'" Musa claimed that the donor list features numerous billionaires whose philanthropic intentions are dubious. But those close to Campbell have denied that she's involved in any sketchy deals, noting that it's not unusual for A-list galas to rack up huge bills. "That's how these huge events work, none of it has come from public money," an insider explained. "Without the input from sponsors, the worthy causes wouldn't have received any money at all."

Now more than ever before, women are having children past the age of 40. In 2021, Naomi Campbell, then aged 50, welcomed her first child. In an interview with Vogue, the supermodel spoke in sweet admiration of her daughter, proudly detailing the ways in which she already resembles her famous mom. "She is the biggest blessing I could ever imagine," she enthused. "It's the best thing I've ever done." Things took an unfortunate turn, however, when Campbell was asked to divulge the circumstances surrounding her daughter's conception and birth (admittedly, such questions were rather inappropriate to begin with). "She wasn't adopted — she's my child," Campbell replied.

Per The Independent, the model's remark caused an outcry, as folks deemed her to be belittling adoptive parents and children. On Twitter, many users condemned Campbell for her seemingly problematic response, with parents highlighting that their adoptive children are still theirs. "Dear @NaomiCampbell, meet Nomi. She IS adopted, and she IS my child," tweeted one adoptive parent, alongside a photo of their baby. Another user wrote, "Say she is your biological child, but don't dismiss the fact that adopting a child makes them yours." 

Numerous celebs have adopted kids, which they love as much as they would biological children, so Campbell's statement was rather insensitive to say the least, even if she didn't mean to cause any offense.

Despite once fronting a PETA anti-fur campaign in 1997, Naomi Campbell seemingly backtracked on her support for animal rights when she was snapped wearing fur on multiple occasions. According to WWD (via Vogue), Campbell was photographed wearing a fur coat as part of an ad campaign for fur designer Dennis Basso in 2009.

In 2014, she incurred the wrath of animal rights activists when she showcased some gifted Givenchy items, including a snakeskin bag and furs, on Instagram, per Cosmopolitan. Her fans expressed their disappointment that the erstwhile PETA spokeswoman would proudly show off products made from animal skins and furs. Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, has condemned Campbell for her continued decision to wear fur. "The fact that Naomi Campbell is known worldwide for turning her back on her stated position against fur — she doesn't command respect," Newkirk told The Times. "I don't know anyone who would say, 'Oh it's all right, it must be ethically acceptable [to wear fur] because she does it.'"

As Page Six reported in 2018, animal rights advocates staged a protest outside a new concept store from Dolce and Gabbana, who frequently used fur in their designs (they have since ditched fur). When Campbell arrived, she reportedly flipped the bird at the activists. Her representatives noted to Page Six that she wasn't wearing fur.

Long before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin was a highly contentious figure, renowned for, among other things, his widespread clampdown on LGBTQ+ rights across Russia and criminalizing dissent. Nevertheless, Naomi Campbell interviewed Putin for GQ in 2011.

The interview was lighthearted, with the supermodel asking Putin about his health and fitness regime. She also praised the Russian leader for his supposedly fit physique. The conversation grew increasingly cringey, not to mention creepy, when Putin began discussing his love of girls. In particular, Putin lauded the efforts of a group of female students who posed for him in lingerie, as part of an erotic calendar to mark his 58th birthday. In retaliation, human rights protestors banded together to create a second, decidedly un-erotic calendar, wearing tape over their mouths to illustrate Russia's suppression of dissidents. "It's fashionable to criticize people in power," Putin said with regards to the second calendar. "If you come out in support of someone like me, you're going to be accused of trying to ingratiate yourself. The girls in the erotic calendar were courageous."

As the Evening Standard noted, Campbell deliberately avoided asking Putin any politically charged questions. Meanwhile, Jezebel heavily criticized the model for keeping the interview so airy, noting that she failed to press him on issues such as his alleged mistress (who is over 30 years his junior), corruption, or the invasion of Chechnya.

Most A-list celebs lead exceptionally comfy lives, so the least we can expect from them is to offer basic courtesy to folks working regular jobs. Unfortunately, many stars didn't get that memo, and if rumors are to be believed, Naomi Campbell is among them.

The supermodel has long been accused of mistreating service staff and retail workers. In 2001, she was banned from the London store Voyage after verbally berating the staff and allegedly pulling the old "Don't you know who I am?" when they didn't immediately let her inside, per ABC News. In 2015, the Daily Mail (via Heat World) reported that Campbell threw shade at two staff members working at the Louis Vuitton store in London. The model was allegedly irked that the workers decided to take the elevator at the same time as her, proceeding to refer to them as "randoms." Eesh. "She continued to repeat the word until they were asked to leave by her companion," a witness claimed. But Campbell's reps claimed the story was a total fabrication.

Moreover, Campbell has been accused of being unkind to restaurant workers. Speaking to the New York Post, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, who is the maitre d' at a swanky New York restaurant, claimed that Campbell was always rude to staff when she frequented the restaurant. "She was someone we dreaded coming in," Cecchi-Azzolina said. "She needed a lot of attention. She sent back her food quite a few times."

The fashion industry is renowned for its promotion of unrealistic body ideals and, indeed, body negativity. Therefore, it's understandable, albeit unfortunate, that such ideation becomes ingrained in the models themselves. On numerous occasions, Naomi Campbell has espoused extremely low calorie diets.

In a 2013 chat with Heat (via The Telegraph), she promoted the idea of fasting once a week. Years later, in 2019, she appeared on British talk show "Lorraine," where she elaborated on her habit of intermittent fasting. She revealed that she forgoes food entirely for a couple of days a week, solely living on water or juice. However, she insisted that she doesn't starve herself. The model made similar claims the following year. According to The Sun, Campbell told an interviewer that she only eats one meal a day, save for Sunday, when she treats herself to desserts. "I eat my lunch," she said. "Lunch is my dinner, because I really only eat once a day." 

While intermittent fasting has gained popularity in recent years, there are still a lot of questions about the supposed benefits. A 2022 study by the University of Toronto found there may be a connection between intermittent fasting and disordered eating behaviors. It's unfortunate that Campbell has lauded the benefits of such diets on numerous occasions. But as Harper's Bazaar notes, the '90s supermodels are a product of a particularly toxic body negative era, one in which harmful fad diets and unrealistically thin bodies were promoted, even worshiped.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).